What Disciples Do: Disciples Live By Faith

Would you characterize your life as one who lives by faith? What does living by faith mean? It means deciding what is the controlling principle in our lives. Living by faith does not mean reasoning and supposing what God would have us do. It means we come to know what God would have us do through prayer and by studying His Word.

“Oh, that my words could be recorded.Oh, that they could be inscribed on a monument,24 carved with an iron chisel and filled with lead,engraved forever in the rock.

25 “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,and he will stand upon the earth at last.26 And after my body has decayed,yet in my body I will see God![a]27 I will see him for myself.Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.I am overwhelmed at the thought!

A prayer of David.

1 O Lord, hear my plea for justice.Listen to my cry for help.Pay attention to my prayer,for it comes from honest lips.2 Declare me innocent,for you see those who do right.

3 You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.I am determined not to sin in what I say.4 I have followed your commands,which keep me from following cruel and evil people.5 My steps have stayed on your path;I have not wavered from following you.

6 I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God.Bend down and listen as I pray.7 Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways.By your mighty power you rescuethose who seek refuge from their enemies.8 Guard me as you would guard your own eyes.[a]Hide me in the shadow of your wings.9 Protect me from wicked people who attack me,from murderous enemies who surround me.

Discussion about Resurrection

27 Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead.28 They posed this question: “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.[a]29 Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children.30 So the second brother married the widow, but he also died.31 Then the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them, who died without children.32 Finally, the woman also died.33 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her!”

34 Jesus replied, “Marriage is for people here on earth.35 But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage.36 And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection.

37 “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord[b] as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[c]38 So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him.”